Wayman Tisdale (1964 - 2009)

Posted: Saturday, May 16, 2009 by Travis Cody in
9

Damn cancer. It silences voices.

Wayman Tisdale lost his 2 year battle with cancer yesterday. He was 44 years old.

Too young. Too talented. Too full of life.

But even if he wasn't those things, this damn disease doesn't care. Tisdale was a husband, a father, an accomplished jazz musician, a former NBA star, a gold medal winner on the 1984 Olympic basketball team, an inductee into the Collegiate Hall of Fame, and was the first University of Oklahoma player in any sport to have his jersey number retired.

And this damn disease doesn't care.

Tisdale is gone, just like so many other people who battle this disease every day. His light lives on in his music.

Wayman Tisdale, 9 June 1964 - 15 May 2009



The Jimmy V Foundation
The Kay Yow/WBCA Fund

9 comments:

  1. Jeni says:

    Just think, if people were as non-discriminating as is cancer, wouldn't this be a really much more wonderful world?
    Any death brings with it a spate of pain, difficulties, questions and the like, but when it is someone in this particular age range, (or younger too) it makes it that much more difficult I do believe to accept and adjust. So it is that the non-discriminating cancer adds another to its roll. Just a shame, all the same though.

  1. Anonymous says:

    Very sad. Cancer shows no discrimination. Too bad our society doesn't follow it's rules. Then possibly we can overtake the cancer and make it never rear it's ugly head again

  1. DrillerAA says:

    Thank you for remembering Wayman. As an OU alumni and native Oklahoman, I can tell you we were proud to call him one of our own. He had a Magic Johnson personality, always smiling, always sharing the joy that was within him. Many lives will not be the same without him. My prayers are with his family.

  1. Jeni: Too much life left to be lived.

    NNG: Indeed.

    Thom: You and Jeni make good points.

    Drilleraa: I have never really been an OU fan, but I always enjoyed watching Wayman play.

  1. What a sweet-looking man... a terrible shame!

    Thanks for commenting on my torture post, Travis, and the "school ties" post. Can't imagine there a lot of accidents because of scool ties... :)

  1. Yes, this was sad news. Being a Pacers and a Suns fan, I am well familiar with Wayman Tisdale. Such a waste of life.

  1. Oh, geez, I just looked at his birth date and date of death: he was born on June 9th (my son's birthday) and passed on May 15th (my hubby's birthday).